Page 142 of Bedeviled

“There’s a fairy who needs to be stopped,” I say from behind Memnon’s shoulder.

“You’re going to have to come out of hiding, sugar,” the Bargainer says. “I can’t see you.”

Now the sorcerer’s hair begins to blow in earnest

I slip off the edge of the desk and walk around Memnon. The Bargainer smirks as I approach him.

“Much better,” the man says. “Now, you want me to stop a fairy?” He clucks his tongue, strolling toward me. “Even if I wasn’t retired, that would be a large ask. Far too big for your little sugar daddy over here,” the Bargainer says, his eyes flicking to Memnon as he stops in front of me. “And”—he smirks as his gaze returns to mine—“I’m afraid it’s far too big for you too, sugar,” he says with a wink.

I don’t know when Memnon moved to my side, but now his hand shoots out faster than I can follow, wrapping around the Bargainer’s throat. Memnon’s other hand moves to his temple. Memnon’s power pours off him, wrapping around the fairy and slipping into his eyes, his ears, his mouth and nose, sinking into his very flesh.

It’s a dizzying amount of magic, but it might do nothing against a fae.

“Do not toy with my wife,” Memnon growls, “…Night King.” He says this last part with a pinch of surprise.

My eyes widen with shock that Memnon was able to glean anything from the Bargainer’s mind through magic alone. But then his words hit me like a freight train, and my attention swings to the white-haired fairy.

We summoned a fae king?

Now it’s not my imagination—around us the room is darkening, which makes a whole lot of sense, given we are dealing with a fae king of the night.

The fairy’s eyes flutter as he fights Memnon’s mortal magic.

All at once the shadows seem to rush into the Bargainer. There’s a single moment where the room is devoid of the darkness. Then⁠—

BOOM!

The windows shatter, metal shrieks, and Memnon and I are thrown backward as a wave of darkness ripples outward into the world around us.

I grunt as I hit one of the side walls of the office. Memnon is thrown into his desk, which slides nearly to the edge of the room. Beyond it is now nothing but air and the howling wind.

The Bargainer stalks forward. “Might want to spell yourself a pair of fucking wings, dickwad, because I’m throwing your awful ass off this building. I might even toss your long-lost wife out along with you.”

Memnon’s eyes are fully glowing now, the clouds of his indigo magic sparking with his power. “What did you say?”

The fairy walks up to him and presses a boot onto Memnon’s chest. The desk behind him groans as it scrapes closer to the open edge of the office. I can’t seem to drag enough air into my lungs for the scream building inside me.

The fairy leans down, his white hair dangling around his face. “I didn’t fucking stutter, did I, Memnon the Cursed?”

A concentrated burst of Memnon’s power explodes out of him, blowing my hair away from my face and knocking the Bargainer back a few paces. I cannot fathom how much magic went into that strike, and yet how little it did.

“Stop!” The word tears free from my throat. “Stop!” I shout, scrambling forward.

I rush to Memnon then, pulling my husband to his feet. His eyes are still glowing, but physically, he looks unharmed.

“Are you alright, est xsaya?” I say softly, the howling wind from beyond the gaping windows stirring my hair about my face.

Even as brightly lit as Memnon’s eyes are, I swear they gentle with my words. He reaches out to touch my cheek. “If you are safe, I am fine.”

“Good,” I sigh out, reaching for his hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

Then I release his hand and turn.

The Bargainer stands a few feet away, looking more than a little miffed about the whole situation. Darkness is gathering around him again.

I stalk over to him.

“Est amage…” Memnon cautions from behind me, his power deepening his voice.